Amy Klobuchar: “for months, news of recalled toys has dominated our headlines. As a mom and as a former prosecutor and now as a Senator…”

“for months, news of recalled toys has dominated our headlines. As a mom and as a former prosecutor and now as a Senator, I find it totally unacceptable that toxic toys are on our shores and in our stores. As my 12-year-old daughter said when her favorite Barbies were recalled: Mom, this is getting serious. Today, the Senate Commerce Committee on which I serve took action to stem the tide of recalls, to finally take lead out of children's products, to establish real third party verification, to simplify the recall process, to finally make it illegal to sell a recalled product, and to get the Consumer Product Safety Commission more resources. Our bill is the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act of 2007, and it is some of the most sweeping reform we have seen in years and years and years of this agency, which is really now a shadow of its former self. To me, the focus is simple. We need to get these toxic toys out of our children's hands. Today's action by the Commerce Committee sends to the Senate floor our opportunity to effectively ban lead from all children's products-- not just voluntarily, not just as a guideline, but with the force of law.”